


Media Blitz

by Deck Divination (astralpath)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:43:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2838374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astralpath/pseuds/Deck%20Divination
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Quest Fashion launches its new ad campaign, it takes Neo Domino by storm, including Team 5D's. Yusei's dazed, Jack's confused, Aki's diving for cover, and Crow's between a rock and a hard place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Guess

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted at Fanfiction.net between 5/8/2012 and 6/2/2012, and is re-posted here with minor corrections. It's pretty much a bit of fluff based on Jack's job-seeking efforts. 
> 
> This story takes off from canon, and is intended to be a slight variation on it. The setting is the period running up to the WRGP.
> 
> _**WARNINGS:**_
> 
> 1) There is some profanity.
> 
> 2) The plot, what little there is of it, is obvious and inconsequential. This story is just supposed to be fun, and, hopefully, a little bit funny.
> 
> 3) Likewise, if characters drift a little into OOC-land, remember, although I'm trying to keep them more or less true to form, this is basically a farce, so I'm taking liberties. 
> 
> OK, enough warnings. Short and sweet, now ...

“There’s another one of those billboards,” Crow said, pointing.

Yusei followed the line of Crow’s finger toward the gigantic panel. The photo consisted of a single, beautifully-formed hand and wrist, the hand curled around a glass of what looked like very expensive scotch, three ice cubes, the glass a perfect balance between the masculine and the refined. The skin of the model was pale, but impossibly perfect, almost translucent, like alabaster; the kind that only appeared in ads. Yusei had to concentrate to maintain the line of his D-wheel. _Guess_ , the billboard teased. Marketing at its best.

“So?”

Crow pointed to a billboard a little further along, one that had appeared a couple of weeks ago: a close-up of two bare feet crossed at the ankles in a leisurely pose. You could just see the hems of the stone-washed jeans the man was wearing, and, to top it off, a dog was curled on the oval rug where his feet were resting. Again, the feet were incredibly beautiful. Feet! Once again, the prompt was, _Guess_.

“So, that’s Quest’s new campaign. We’re supposed to guess who the model for the campaign is. It’s hush-hush, a big deal. There’s a contest behind it and they’re revealing the model a feature at a time.”

Yusei blinked. “Really. How far have they gotten?”

“Oh, there’s three or four out by now,” he said.

They were pulling into Poppo Time, and after parking, Crow headed to the coffee table and picked up _Duel_. “These Quest ads are everywhere,” he said, leafing through the magazine. “Here’s one.” He handed the magazine to Yusei.

There was another one, a lean yet muscular leg draped over the edge of a bed somewhat suggestively. The suggestion was all inside the mind of the viewer, of course: it was only a bare leg hanging over the edge of a bed, after all, but it was long, lean, and— _dammit_ —perfect. Yusei scowled. The Quest logo and contest details appeared at the bottom of the page.

Crow looked at his expression and said, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yes. How can a man look that good?” He tossed the magazine on the table. Then, as though it were a continuation of that thought, he said, “By the way, have you seen Jack today?”

“No, and I have no idea where he went. He said something extremely vague about job-hunting, but I think that he may have been going to meet that friend of his, Kazama, for a friendly duel. I don’t think he’s gotten around to it yet.”

Yusei considered that and shrugged. There was no telling with Jack. He had a way of disappearing for hours on end with no explanation. Who knew what he did? Sometimes he ended up in trouble. Sometimes he simply … disappeared. Other times he was around helping … or, aggravatingly, failing to help. Worst of all was when he impeded progress by trying his best to help and ending up working against the team. Jack preferred working as an individual and felt that he could best contribute by being the best he could be; but that wasn’t always the case. Yusei saw and understood how much it frustrated Crow, but he couldn’t help admiring Jack’s purity. He just couldn’t stand giving less than his all in anything that he did.

… Which was why it was so hard for him to get and hold a job.

But not having him around made the garage feel so … vacant.

An hour later, as Yusei was cooking up some dinner, Jack breezed in, looking as perfectly put together as ever. “Hey, Jack,” Yusei said. “Want some udon? I’m making plenty.”

“Sure. Where’s Crow?”

“Checking on the kids.” Yusei poured Jack some tea. As he served the udon, he noticed Jack raising the teacup to his lips and paused for a moment.

“What?”

Yusei flashed on the hand holding the glass of scotch. _Nah_ , he thought. Jack couldn’t possibly sit still for that long. And even if he could, he’d tell the photographer what to do and get himself fired.

“Nothing, Jack … Not a thing.”

**Author’s notes:**

This Yep, the first chapter is super-short. As I recall, most of the chapters for this story are, but it will be up quickly, so hopefully that won't be too annoying.

Sorry to include a note _not_ about _this_ story, but: For those who are patiently waiting for me to finally get around to posting a new chapter for my current stories, I haven't forgotten them. I've just gotten sidetracked by various things, such as posting my older stories here (plus checking them over, and, in one case, rewriting a chunk). _Three Little Words_ is stalled because I'm still deciding on what direction to take it in. (Yeah, I probably shouldn't admit that, but I decided to start posting while writing ... never a great idea. Although sometimes it works out just fine ...) Meanwhile, I know what the next section of _Old World, New World_ should be like, but it's taking a while to come together. (It's the _ending_ of that one that I'm worried about.) Just wanted you to know that I'm not planning on leaving you hanging! I'm just trying to get it right.


	2. Rear View

Aki flounced into Poppo Time after school and flopped onto the couch, the twins following. Yusei chuckled at her indulgently and said, “Why don’t you make yourself at home?”

She smiled and said, “Don’t mind if I do,” and picked up the new copy of _Duel_ that had arrived that afternoon. Two pages in, opposite the contents page, she giggled and slapped the magazine shut, blushing and glancing at the twins sidelong. Yusei’s head swiveled back toward her in curiosity. The twins were apparently too absorbed in a discussion about their dueling classes to notice Aki’s embarrassment.

Yusei quietly put down the wrench he was holding and made his way to the couch. He picked up _Duel_ and leafed in. Opposite the contents page was the most provocative Guess ad yet. The handsome man was now at the beach. You could now see him, from the small of his back to the back of his mid-thigh, clad only in a bathing suit, lying on his stomach, his pale skin contrasting with the tan sands. Yusei marveled how someone with such pale skin managed to look so exciting instead of sickly, and again thought of Jack. But Jack would never pose for such a picture, would he? Nevertheless, this man had the same sort of slender, tapering waist, the same sort of buttocks, not large, but just muscular enough to be … interesting.

Suddenly, Yusei realized that he’d been staring at the ad far too long and looked up to see Aki staring at him. His cheeks felt hot. “Uh … I’m trying to figure out what celebrity this might be.”

Aki blushed again and Yusei thought that she might have had the same thought that crossed his mind but she was afraid to admit it. “Have you figured it out?” she asked.

“Not yet,” he said, tossing the magazine onto the coffee table.

“Do you think it could be—”

At that moment Jack walked in. Yusei called, “Jack! Hi!” trying to sound casual, but he found it virtually impossible to prevent his eyes from wandering to their most natural target after what he had just seen: Jack’s perfectly-shaped, taut buttocks. Feeling heat rising to his cheeks, he forced his eyes to Aki’s face only to find her looking back at him, blushing furiously.

_Busted._

Obviously, both of them had the same thought, and caught themselves doing and thinking the same things. Aki shot him a slightly desperate look and Yusei shrugged back, then said the first thing that came into his mind. “We haven’t seen much of you today. What have you been doing with yourself?”

This only made Aki turn a shade redder, and Yusei felt a sharp kick connect with his ankles behind the coffee table. Her expression changed to a scowl.

“Frankly,” Jack said, “I’ve been attempting to discover a way in which to make Crow happy by bringing in a paycheck or two.” He cast a significant look towards Yusei and continued, “I was hoping to make it a _surprise_ , but …”

_If you’re doing what I think you’re doing, we’re already surprised._

“Do you mind, Yusei? I need to take out the Wheel of Fortune. You’re not working on it, are you? I can’t afford to let my riding skills get rusty.”

The second he was out of there, Aki dragged Yusei into the kitchenette and looked nervously around the corner at the kids. Thank God they were still involved in their homework. “Do you think it _is_ him?” she whispered.

“I never would have thought he’d put up with this sort of thing,” Yusei whispered back. “Modeling. Especially showing off his body like that. But Crow’s put a lot of pressure on him about money …”

Aki looked toward the magazine. “But the photo isn’t that racy, you know. You can’t see anything—” here she broke off, blushing furiously, and forced herself to reword it. “It’s not like you can see his front side.” Aki was now as red as a beet.

“Your reaction says otherwise,” Yusei pointed out.

“I _know_ him! That’s part of Jack that I … well, that I don’t want to dwell on.”

Yusei wanted to chuckle, but he could sympathize. Aki really wasn’t attracted to Jack in that way, but she was now forced to confront the fact that he was, well, a very attractive man. Even Yusei could feel a certain pull, like gravity, and was tempted to consider how bisexual he might be. He forced himself not to contemplate that stray thought. “Yeah, but about Jack … you have to realize. See how covered up he is all the time? Basically, the most he ever opens up is his collar.”

“Right. Of his tight, form-fitting clothing.”

“But the point is, he doesn’t show off his skin. This is just … if it is Jack, it’s a huge concession for him. We have to support him. Please. Don’t say anything to the twins. Just … if you can think of a way, prepare them and, if you can figure out some way to do it, get them to go easy on him. Not too much teasing?” He thought for a second. “That is, _if_ it is him … I still don’t want to believe it.”

“You don’t think so?”

“It looks like him, but it could just be a look-alike. At this point it could just as well be that European duelist Harald. We can’t jump to conclusions here.” He looked off in the direction that Jack had gone. “He … If it’s _not_ him, he’d be insulted that we’d even _think_ it was him. He might well tell us that modeling is too _girly_ or something, that’s all.”

“Whatever, Yusei, just don’t you tell _him_ he’s girly.”


	3. Secret’s Out

Yusei flopped down on the couch with Crow to find him watching the news. “Anything interesting?” he asked.

“The world isn’t ending currently, if that’s what you’re asking,” he said cheerily, taking a bite out of a sandwich.

“You can’t eat that at—”

But Crow cut him off. “Shh! You’ll be interested in this.”

Angela had just come on saying, “Thank you, Bill. Yes, Quest has everyone guessing who their new model is. It’s said that the shoots are ongoing and—” her voice took on a gossipy tone, “—highly secretive. Quest headquarters are now flooded by entries for their Guess Who contest. The first entry that gets it right, opened randomly, is the winner!”

“ _This_ is what you wanted me to see?” asked Yusei, rolling his eyes.

“Now, Quest executive Hans Drinkler is giving us the exclusive debut of their next Guess campaign advertisement, live, right here on _Daily Duel_!”

Angela engaged in some chit-chat about the campaign as they moved forward to a huge billboard carefully placed to garner maximum attention in midtown. It was carefully covered.

“And no one has seen this?”

“No one but the Quest employees who put the display together. Would you like to do the honors?”

Angela seemed oddly anxious to oblige and happily pushed the remote control button she was offered. The curtain fell away to reveal the bare midsection of the mystery man. He was clearly wearing some sort of sweatpants covering his hips and you could see the lower edge of some sort of snug short shirt clinging to his lower ribs—clearly the clothing was all some sort of exercise wear—but his abdominals were exposed. His creamy skin was glistening as though with a barely-there mist of sweat. The surroundings were relatively plain, high-tech gleaming gym equipment, but it served to enhance the impression of … perfection.

Angela and Drinkler kept nattering on, but Yusei no longer heard what they were saying. He was too busy staring at those abs. There was no remaining doubt. It wasn’t that often that Yusei had seen Jack change his shirt, but when he did, he’d seen those abs in all their glory: perfectly symmetrical, balanced, no unseemly bulges anywhere, neither under- nor over-developed, and spread along that long, lean torso of his. He would have recognized those abs even if he had seen them covered by the tight T-shirt he wore during their days with Team Satisfaction.

Yusei glanced over toward Crow and realized that he was thinking the very same thing. “You’re not—You’re not considering entering that stupid contest, are you?”

“No. Even if I was, I looked at the rules. If you’ve ever met the model, you’re disqualified.”

Yusei laughed. “Figures.”

“But, why—”

“You can’t figure it out either? It just doesn’t sound like Jack, does it?”

“He … his pride …”

“The photography is really good …” Yusei offered.

“Yeah, in a drool-worthy sort of way …”

“What, you’re saying you don’t approve?”

“I don’t know, Yusei. This is really weird. I mean, the thought of Jack taking off his clothes in front a photographer and following their lead …”

“Well, the way you harp at Jack about pulling his weight and paying you back, I’d think you’d be the last to—”

Crow had reddened rapidly and Yusei was sure he was about to interrupt when the door opened and Jack strode in. Jack was heading toward the kitchenette, but halted when he glanced over and noticed the two staring at him in open-mouthed guilty silence. “What?”

**Author’s Notes:**

As I wrote when I initially posted this, the mystery really _isn’t_ the thing about this, so there you have it. It’s more about how the “mystery” affects the others rather than how mysterious it is. ;) If the mystery model was anyone else, it would just be disappointing ... so ... hope you don’t mind! ;)


	4. Weird Enough

Jack stopped in mid-stride, noticing Yusei’s and Crow’s guilty stares.

“Uh …” Yusei began, unsure what to say. “Crow?”

Crow scowled back. “Yusei, I think you can say it better,” he said in a sickly-sweet tone.

Jack frowned slightly, trying to figure them out.

“Jack, you know the Quest ads? The Guess Who campaign?”

“Oh,” he said. “Those.”

“That … _is_ … you … isn’t it?”

Jack frowned and sat on the couch. “I can’t say.”

Crow pounded the coffee table. “I _knew_ it!”

Jack looked at them pleadingly. “I didn’t tell you! Remember that. I’m contractually obligated.”

Yusei shot Crow a threatening look and sat next to Jack. “We won’t say anything,” he said soothingly, shooting yet another look in Crow’s direction. Crow still looked like he was about to burst. “If we promise not to tell anyone, can we talk about this?”

Jack looked reluctant. “This is supposed to be completely secret until the prize is awarded. I’m not even to be paid until that happens, and if I say anything to _anyone_ , the amount is reduced.”

“Obviously I won’t say anything,” said Crow. Yusei could practically see yen signs in his eyes.

“But … what made you so sure it was me?” Jack asked.

Yusei grinned and elbowed Jack in his abs gently. “They’re one-of-a-kind, man.”

“And you think the girls hound you now …” Crow added.

Jack’s pale skin became even paler. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“So what’s the next body part? What about your arms? If they show your birthmark, it’s a giveaway for sure.”

“We shot from the left side, so there’s no danger of that.”

“So that’s—”

“It’s actually the next ad.”

“So why—” began Yusei.

“Well, I’ve been trying to find some way to earn some cash, but you know how it is for someone like me—”

“Impossible—” Crow disguised inside a cough.

“What’s that, Crow? … As I was saying, this wasn’t the first time an agent has approached me with modeling prospects, but it is the first time one has been willing to work with me to allow me some control over what projects I’m willing to accept. You should see what I turned down.” He scowled.

“What do you mean?” asked Yusei.

“There is one in particular that’s been quite persistent and would be lucrative, but I’m not willing to do a nude photo spread.”

“A _nude—?_ ” Yusei echoed, his eyes growing wide. But Jack kept speaking, not noticing that Yusei had replied.

“This Quest campaign is pushing the envelope quite as far as I’m willing to go,” Jack’s cheekbones showed a trace of color at the thought.

“Um, not that I want you to do it, but just how lucrative are we talking?” asked Crow.

Jack pulled out a portfolio from his drawer and sorted out a paper. “This is the last offer I looked at. I told my agent not to bother sending me any after that, so I haven’t seen any of the higher offers.”

Crow looked at the paper and said, “Th-there have been hi-higher offers?” He handed the paper to Yusei. “As in more than one?”

Yusei wondered if he wouldn’t have succumbed to the offer. He handed the paper back to Jack wordlessly.

“So Marj has said,” he shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

Yusei laughed. That’s how it was with Jack. It didn’t matter how much he was offered for a job he wouldn’t do. “I guess it doesn’t,” he allowed.

Crow stared at the two openly. “Marj?” he said finally.

“Marjorie Henstridge.”

“The famous American agent?!”

Just then they heard a tone, and Jack pulled his cell out. “Hello? Thank goodness. This sneaking around was really getting old. My friends were starting to wonder where I was. … Yes. … OK. And she’ll call with all the details, then? OK, thanks.”

“What was that all about?” asked Yusei.

“Someone finally guessed right, so they’re going to make the big announcement,” he said, smiling. “That means the rest of the ads will be coming out next week, in sequence.”

“They’ve taken them all already?”

“Mostly. But they want to make a big announcement, apparently.” Jack stopped and looked at his friends. “D-do you want to come?”

“Well … yeah, if I can,” said Yusei. “It’s … it’s sort of weird, but, yeah, I want to be there for you. You’re my best friend.”

Crow nodded and said, “I’ll be there—if I don’t have to make deliveries, that is. What are friends for?”

But for Yusei, there was something else that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He didn’t want any of Jack’s other friends to be there without him being there. It was a really strange sensation. He felt like he needed to be there.

Jack stood and walked into the kitchenette to rustle up some sort of dinner, leaving Yusei and Crow to stare at each other. “Well, happy now?” asked Yusei.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s only doing this to make you shut up about the job situation.”

“What, don’t you approve? It’s an OK job, isn’t it? And if the money’s even a quarter of the offer he showed us, it’s not half bad.”

“I bet you’re disappointed that he didn’t accept that offer!” Yusei exclaimed, tossing the paper at Crow.

Crow batted it aside, staring at Yusei, “What’s with you, anyway? You’ve been acting weird ever since these ads started coming out! You’d think that—”

“Don’t let me stop you,” said Jack, walking back in. He sat down with his cup ramen.

Crow stared at Yusei, who was trying not to look at Jack and getting redder and redder. _You would think that Yusei had a thing for Jack, wouldn’t you?_ he thought. Yusei was acting almost exactly like he had a secret desire to have his own nude pictures of Jack, but wouldn’t want anyone else to have them.

It was weird enough having various giant sections of bare Jack hanging over him as he made his deliveries around Neo Domino. He didn’t want to have to put up with Yusei joining Jack’s flock of drooling fangirls!

_Yikes._


	5. Media Buzz

TV cameras, reporters, Hans Dinkler …

Jack Atlas … and … was he actually … nervous?

Yusei laughed. “What do you have to be nervous about?” he asked. “You pose for the cameras all the time. You love this sort of attention.”

“I’m not used to being stared at like a piece of meat.”

“Uh, Jack, you don’t think girls drool over you whether you pose for beefcake ads or not?”

“Hnh. I hadn’t thought about it that way,” he said. The tension eased out of his shoulders. He shot Yusei a confident grin. “I guess you’re right. Nothing to worry about.” He looked around again. “Wasn’t Crow going to drop by?”

“He wanted to, but his delivery schedule was packed this afternoon.”

Marjorie walked over and grabbed Jack’s hand without discussion. “It’s showtime!” she said. Jack shrugged and headed off toward the stage.

Putting on his largest, whitest, marketing smile, Hans Dinkler took the mike. “Today we have the pleasure of formally introducing you to the winner of the Guess Who contest, Miss Trista Barnes of Neo Domino City! Please come up, Trista!”

A woman of about 22 walked nervously up onto the stage. _Geez_ , Yusei thought, _she’s kind of pretty_. Auburn hair, hazel eyes, nice figure. His stomach did a slow roll as he watched her take the stage.

_What’s wrong with me?_

“I have the pleasure of announcing that you have earned the award for correctly guessing the model for the Guess ad campaign. And to present you with a check for the one-million yen prize, I’m pleased and privileged to introduce to you the new face of Quest Fashion, Jack Atlas!” He swept a welcoming arm towards the wings as Jack strode out using his most commanding pace.

The crowd of assorted media, fashion nabobs, and spectators erupted in a mixture of applause, surprised chatter, and apparent umbrage. Jack flashed his warmest, most ingratiating smile to the crowd and bent to the winner of the prize, who looked at first like she was going to faint, then glommed on to him, hugging him like a barnacle and showering his face with kisses. Jack bore up to it bravely, although Yusei knew this was not the sort of thing he enjoyed.

Oddly, Yusei was a lot less amused by the spectacle than he would have imagined that he would have been.

Dinkler cleared his throat.

“When we considered the image of Quest Fashion seriously, it became clear who should represent us. We could have sought out a celebrity who has never been questioned. Who never had to face difficult times, losses, or had reason to question himself. But that is not what the Quest is about. Quest Fashion is not about those who sit idly upon a pile of easy victories. It is about those who are always seeking. Who, once they have reached a mountaintop, look for a higher peak to climb. Those, who having been knocked off their throne, immediately seek a way to regain it. This spirit of endurance, determination, and resolve is personified by Jack Atlas.”

By this time, one of Dinkler’s aides had assisted Jack in loosening Trista’s death grip on him and a question and answer session followed.

Yusei frowned, looking on. He listened to the interview wondering what his problem was. Girls were always hanging off of Jack, but today Yusei felt more annoyed than usual. What was it about this ad campaign that set him so on edge?

At last Jack walked off the stage and leaned against a backdrop. “I can’t believe you’re still here!” he exclaimed. “That was incredibly boring. I think … for once, I’ll have a drink … and not coffee.”

“C’mon, it’s on me.”

“What? I can afford to buy now, and you want to buy?”

“Next time, Jack, you deserve it. That was grueling.”

* * *

Minutes later, Jack was sitting at a table in a little bar. Yusei brought a couple of beers over. “See, not too bad.”

“No—”

“Hey, aren’t you …? Yeah, you’re … _Jack Atlas!_ The one from the report! _Hey, girls!_ ”

Yusei and Jack rolled their eyes at each other as the girl jumped up and down and waved to her companions.

“Oh … I don’t have anything for you to _sign!_ ” Jack looked slightly horrified by the impending crush of womanhood.

“Cocktail napkin?” suggested Yusei.

“Uh, girls … this is Fudo Yusei … the current duel king? You might want his autograph …!”

“No, no, you’re good …”

Yusei was appalled as the woman had Jack sign her upper chest. _Typical … I wonder how many drinks she’s had …_

They managed to fend off the first wave of attention, then slunk back into a dark corner with a pair of fresh, cold beers.

“Hnh,” said Jack. “I didn’t know that a modeling gig was going to turn into this …”

“But Jack, think about it. You’re not just a model, you’re a duelist. You knew that girls drooled over you already. What did you think was going to happen?”

“I don’t know. Not this. It’s not like I haven’t done endorsements before. I guess … I didn’t think things would change so much.”

“Things always change, Jack.” Yusei smiled. “You’re the worst that way. You make them change. When I don’t want things to change, you’re the one pushing.” He laughed.

“What do you mean?”

“Satellite, for example. Always pushing to get out. Pushing to get away. To leave.” His smile faded. “To leave _me_.”

“C’mon, Yusei, I don’t want to think about that right now. I don’t push that hard.”

“Yes … you do. And you push yourself the hardest.” He smiled again. He seldom drank and was already feeling the buzz. “That’s why I admire you, Jack.”

“Like you push yourself, never sleeping, working on those machines … You can do things I never could.”

_Huh, he hardly ever mentioned that._

Maybe because they never went out for a beer?

“So … Jack … you’re just doing this because of Crow?”

Jack looked at Yusei with a solemn expression. “Pretty much.” He sighed. “I … I just wasn’t having much luck finding anything that … well, you know how quickly I get fired.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s not like I don’t try, Yusei! I do! I do my very best, and—”

Yusei smiled. “Jack, I think that might even be the problem. You insist on the best when employers only want good enough.”

“Oh.”

“You’re a perfectionist, Jack, and perfection tends to … well, it’s expensive, and people like us can’t afford that. Ordinary shops that hire people can’t afford people who want to make things perfect.”

“I guess you’re right. Anyway, this came along, and Marjorie convinced me that I could do something that was up to my standards with the right people involved, so …”

“Yeah, the campaign is pretty slick.”

“It’s the ad agency they’re using. They’re good.”

Suddenly sleepy, Yusei sighed and leaned on his hand. “How late is it?”

“Not that late. C’mon, Yusei. I think you need to come home.”

They stood and Yusei immediately leaned on Jack. “I’m tired,” he said.

“Shit. I’m calling Bruno to bring the van. You’re not getting on a D-wheel now.”

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, Yusei. You’re leaning on me like you’re my date or something.”

_Your …_

Yusei blinked at Jack. He was looking back at Yusei, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

_He’s making fun of me._

But Yusei didn’t make much of an effort to stand straight. Funny, it’s not like he’d drank that much. But it felt good to spend some time with Jack and it felt good to lean against him like this.

“I don’ want Bruno to come for us.”

“I don’t want you to crash your D-wheel. You don’t want to risk the competition because you have to fix it, do you?”

“No …”

“Well then?”

Jack put Yusei back into the booth while he stepped into a quieter area to make a call, so Yusei decided to buy another couple of beers. When Jack appeared again, he said, “Bruno will call me when he gets here.”

“Thanks, Mom.” He handed Jack a beer.

Jack reached out a large hand and ruffled Yusei’s hair.

That felt awfully good too.

Jack didn’t seem to mind that Yusei had gotten quiet and was simply sipping his beer and blinking sleepily at him while they waited. He just leaned back in the booth and put his hands behind his head. Yusei couldn’t help thinking that would make another good picture for an ad … Jack looked kind of nice all stretched out like that.

It wasn’t long before Jack’s phone rang and he pulled Yusei to his feet. “Let’s go.”

“’K, Jack. Uh … carry me?”

“No thanks. Why don’t you just lean on me a little and walk?”

“’K.” Yusei wrapped an arm around Jack’s waist and leaned heavily on Jack. Was it the buzz? Everything seemed to feel good, but leaning against Jack, like this … He closed his eyes. He was a little dizzy anyway, and sleepy.

“Come on, Yusei, don’t fall asleep on me. We’re almost there. Hey, Bruno. Sorry about this. Looks like Yusei can’t even drink three beers. We couldn’t even put him on his D-wheel after two.”

“It’s quite all right, Jack.”

Yusei felt the two of them helping him into the back seat, then he listened to them load the D-wheels. Yusei was afraid that Jack would get in front with Bruno—he expected Jack to want to be up front—but he sat next to Yusei.

Yusei leaned up against Jack and sighed, closing his eyes. “You feel good.”

“You’re buzzed.”

“You look good.”

“What?”

But Yusei had fallen asleep.


	6. Gotta Have It

“Oh … my … _god!_ ” Aki said to no one in particular.

“What is it? Are you OK?” asked Ruka, running over. “ _Oh my god!_ ” she exclaimed.

“What is this, some sort of shopping emergency?” asked Rua, rushing over to help. “Oh … my god …” His voice, however, held a sort of weary, _what next_ quality.

“I have to have it!” said Ruka breathlessly.

“Go ahead. You can buy it while I stay back here and find a bag to put over my head,” said Aki.

“Uh, Ruka? Could you make sure you don’t go showing that to any of our friends? We’re getting teased enough!”

“Oh, grow up!” she said sensibly, picking up the calendar, which proclaimed, _Quest Fashion: 16 Month Atlas_ on it. “For one thing, I think it’s clever. For another, it’s not even R-rated and the photography is completely beautiful. I can have it autographed, and all the girls at school are crazy for the ad campaign. They’d buy the fashion if it weren’t all for guys.”

“B-but the guys …”

“Hah, they all just wish they could look so good because the girls are all drooling over him!” She grabbed another calendar. “Here. I’ll get this one for you.” She flashed it to him: _Quest Fashion: Atlas Sport_. “It’s all the kind of action shots you love, so don’t even start with me!” With that, she flounced off to the cash register.

* * *

Crow stepped outside to find two large packages on the front steps. “What’s this?”

He lifted them and carried them in. “Magazines? But …” Setting them down on the coffee table, he examined the label. “Jack Atlas? Figures.” Anything unusual or weird had to have something to do with Jack. “Hey, Jack! Get down here and tell us what this is!”

In a couple of minutes, Jack appeared at the top of the stairs, a bit rumpled, tucking his shirttails in. “You’re going to wake the entire building just to get me down?”

As if in support of Jack’s statement, Yusei showed up in his pajamas, rubbing his head.

“You’re not up?” Crow asked, surprised.

“Uh, late night last night.” Yusei’s head ached. He was a little embarrassed that it took only three beers to develop a serious buzz and was a little worried about what he’d said to Jack.

“Whatever. Jack, what are these?”

“Hnh. Let’s see.” Jack came down the stairs with Yusei and Bruno appeared from somewhere back in the garage area. Jack peeled away protective paper. “Oh yes, these are my promotional copies of the calendars that Quest is putting out. … Uh, do you have any friends who might want one?”

“Jack, you know a lot of people who might want one,” said Yusei.

“I do?”

“Carly, Mikage, Stephanie … Even Rua might want this sports one. You’re still his hero, you know. Do you want me to go on?”

“Hnh. I guess I’ll just leave them out, then.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, Aki traipsed in with the twins and flopped down on the couch. “What’s all … ? Are you …! _Ruka!_ You could have saved me the embarrassment of watching you buy that damn calendar! You could have gotten one for free!”

Ruka ran over, looked at the stack, and shrugged. “Hey, I can afford it, and Jack’s a friend. A really good-looking friend.”

Aki groaned. Sighing, she picked up a schoolbook and opened it. “I actually have some studying to do,” she announced. “Don’t you?”

Just as she was getting settled, Jack drove in on the Wheel of Fortune and parked in the garage area. Ruka and Rua immediately ran over, greeting him loudly. They pulled him over to the couch and made him sit down next to Aki. Ruka sat on his lap and Rua sat next to him, both chatting excitedly about the calendars.

Aki edged sideways toward the corner of the couch.

“Could you sign this calendar, please, Jack?” enthused Ruka. “I want to show it around to all my friends tomorrow!”

Jack frowned slightly as he signed it. “You do? Anyone can get a copy.”

“Not anyone can get it signed! Not everybody knows you personally!”

“These pictures are much cooler,” Rua asserted, shoving his calendar in front of Jack for him to sign. “Why didn’t they use these for the billboards instead of those other ones?”

“I don’t know, Rua. They wanted to introduce me with that Guess Who gimmick, I suppose.”

“Whatever, do they let you keep the clothes?” asked Ruka.

Jack smiled. “Yes, actually. The ones for the shoot are tailored to fit specially and they’ve been worn, so they can’t sell them anyway.”

Aki was trying to bury her nose in her schoolbook, but failing, stealing occasional glances to the side and blushing. At last she stood up, aggravated. She wandered over to the garage area, where Yusei was typing away on his computer. “You look busy,” she observed.

“Trying to catch up,” he said, looking up briefly before looking back down at the screen.

“Catch up?”

“Yeah. I spent yesterday afternoon and evening giving Jack moral support.”

“Moral support?”

“The announcement.”

“Oh, right. That was yesterday.”

Yusei looked up at her and stared. “You don’t remember?”

She rolled her eyes. “OK, so I can’t not remember. It’s hard to ignore Jack these days, as much as I try.”

Yusei laughed.

“But … moral support? Whatever for? Why would he need that just for an announcement?”

“He needs friends just like anyone else.”

“That peacock? He thrives on attention! That sort of thing is what he lives for! Why would he need moral support for a public announcement that he’s doing endorsements, for gosh sakes?”

Yusei frowned, turning his attention fully away from his monitor. “Jack’s a lot more sensitive than you give him credit for, Aki. What is your—”

But Aki had caught sight of something on the wall.

“Tch! Not you too!” Aki was pointing over Yusei’s shoulder.

“Now what?”

She grabbed a copy of Atlas Sport off the wall and handed it to him.

“ _Careful!_ You’re going to rip it!” Yusei objected, examining it for damage. “We needed a calendar. Am I going to turn down a free one? Especially one that promotes one of our own?”

“Hmph! Makes perfect sense … sort of … Only most garages have calendars featuring busty women, you know!”

“Or cars, or motorcycles. … Busty women …”

“What’s wrong with busty women?”

“N-nothing …” Yusei blushed. “You don’t want me to just consider th-those attributes, do you?”

“Of course not, but …”

“This is a sports calendar. Motorcycles, cars, surfing, climbing …”

“All Jack.”

“All free. Is there a problem?”

“I guess not …” But there was something in Aki’s tone that said _yes_.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” Noticing that the couch was now blessedly Atlas-free, Aki returned to it and sat down while Yusei rehung the calendar.

Yusei looked at the current month: Jack on the Wheel of Fortune in mid-flight between a couple of rock formations. You could see the intense concentration on his face and the tension in his body under Quest’s riding jacket and jeans. Jack’s boots and gloves weren’t too different from what he normally wore, but the entire outfit was a different color scheme entirely, red and black.

It was an easy picture to stare at. Reluctantly, he turned his eyes back to his computer monitor.

Looking up, he realized that he’d felt the pressure of Aki’s gaze and looked over to where she was sitting, only to find her looking down at her schoolbook.

He frowned, glancing at the calendar photo for a second before starting to type.

Why was she so irritated? It was just a calendar. It wasn’t even the beefcake calendar.

Good thing she didn’t know he’d stashed a copy of that in his room.

He frowned again. Why had he done that, anyway?

He shrugged. Jack was his best friend. This was a big deal for Jack. It was only natural that he support his friend.

Especially when Crow was being so weird about everything.

… And now Aki. It was natural that she was uncomfortable about the photos, but the sports spread?

He was glad he’d spent the time with Jack if they were all going to be that way about it.

He smiled to himself, remembering how good he felt last night. Too bad he couldn’t remember it clearly. But it felt really good to talk with Jack, and just to be with him …

… and to lean up against him … and …

Oh, god. Jack.

He wasn’t—Jack was his best friend. He couldn’t be … fixating on him. Not like that.

Could he?

He stood up.

Bruno looked at him curiously. “Are you all right?” he asked.

“Actually, I think I’m still feeling a little off from last night,” he said. “I need to … take a walk.”

“Do you want me to come along?”

“Uh, no.” That certainly wouldn’t help.

He got to his feet quickly.

_That’s it. Think. Get perspective. Talk to someone._

_Not Akiza._

Yeah. He could picture that:

“ _Uh, Akiza, I need your advice.”_

“ _Yes, Yusei? I’m always glad to help you.”_

“ _Um, this kind of personal. I’m feeling kind of strange lately, and … well, I need to talk to someone I can really trust. We’re close friends.”_

“ _You can trust me, Yusei.”_

“ _Then I might as well say it straight out. I think … I think I’m starting to have romantic feelings for Jack.”_

“ _For Jack.”_

“ _Yes, for Jack.”_

“ _Uh, Yusei?”_

“ _Yes?”_

“ _Why don’t you talk to Carly about this?”_

“ _Why would I talk to Carly? I don’t know her very well and—”_

“ _Well, that way you could tell her that you want_ her _advice about taking away_ her _boyfriend, too! C’mon, Yusei! How do you_ think _I’d feel about this?!”_

Yeah, that would work out well …

His feet quickly propelled him out of Poppo Time.

Where he was confronted with the gorgeous view of Jack Atlas seated at a table at the café across the street sipping coffee.

“Hi, Yusei. Join me?”

“Uh, not now. I need to …”

… _run away or something_. _Return to a couple of weeks ago before all this started. Before I realized I was attracted to you_. “I need to find Crow and talk to him. Do you know where he’s gotten to?”

“I think he’s out on deliveries.”

“Thanks, Jack.”

Yusei ran back and jumped on his D-wheel, then peeled out. Opening up communications, he contacted Crow. “Hey, Crow, sorry to interrupt you while you’re making deliveries, but I need to talk. Can you take time out?”

“I need to keep my schedule, Yusei.”

“When do you get a break?”

He looked anxious. “Not for a while, Yusei. Can’t you talk to Jack? He’s got to have time.”

“… I’d really rather talk to you about this.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. How about Bruno, then?”

“Bruno? … I don’t … I don’t think so.” Bruno was a great guy and all, but he just didn’t seem to have any experience with love at all. “Don’t worry, Crow, I’ll work it out for myself.”

Well, Kiryu was out. He was too far away. He couldn’t talk to the twins about this for sure.

He found himself driving around aimlessly, wondering what to do.

Was this just a physical attraction?

He couldn’t deny that was a big part of it, maybe even the big problem. The ad campaign, all those gigantic pictures …

… there was another one, passing by right now …

… certainly brought up a huge problem for him. It was impossible for him not to notice the attraction.

But moreover, there was the fact that he and Jack were friends. In spite of all the friction and what Jack had done in the past, when it came down to it, they were friends. Best friends.

Could it be that the attraction had tangled up with friendship and he’d mistaken it for love?

If it wasn’t love, he didn’t want to risk screwing things up, but … if it was … he didn’t want to miss out on the best thing that could ever happen to him.

What could it be like if they …

If he got together with Jack …

The upwelling of emotion that he felt in response to that thought caused him to wobble off-line a little.

Strangely, he realized right then that he was in the neighborhood of Poppo Time again and took the offramp.

As he pulled into the garage, he glanced over at the café to find that Jack had disappeared from his favorite table during the interim.

He sighed as he stopped the D-wheel.

It didn’t seem as though anything had been solved.

How was he going to be able to concentrate on dueling with this going on? How was he supposed to look Jack in the eye?

Jack was sitting on the couch looking at the paper and listening to the news simultaneously. “Where have you been? Bruno said you weren’t feeling well.”

“Yeah, I … I decided I needed to go out for some air. Uh, Jack, where is everybody?”

“Aki and the kids went home. It is getting late, you know, and Bruno went to get supplies. He’s going to pick up some cold medicine, I think.” Jack looked Yusei over. “You don’t look sick to me.”

“Right, but I did feel kind of … off.”

“Did you catch up with Crow?”

“No. He’s still on delivery duty.”

“Sure I can’t help you with it?” He paused. “Whatever it is? What is it that’s bothering you, anyway? Is it Yliaster? Has something come up?” He was starting to get a little restive now. “Have I missed something while I was out? That would explain—”

“No, Jack, it’s nothing like that—”

“Then … Yusei?”


	7. All Systems Stop

Yusei sat down next to Jack. What was he going to say? He wasn’t sure yet whether this was a temporary thing or not. “It’s … it’s really nothing—”

“Nothing that you wouldn’t really rather talk to Crow about.” Jack sighed. “You’re not comfortable talking to me. It’s what I did, isn’t it? When I left Satellite.”

“No!” Yusei hastened to grab Jack’s wrist to reassure him, looking him in the eyes. “Jack, it’s nothing about that!”

“Then what is it? Why can’t you tell me?”

“I don’t even know what it is yet. It might be nothing.”

“And Crow can help you figure it out but I can’t, is that it?”

“Uh …” How could he get out of talking about it without offending Jack?

“I really thought we were getting on pretty well now.”

“We are. Jack … it’s not about that. Or you. Or us.”

“But you won’t talk to me about it. Something that you want Crow’s advice about. I think that says everything. I thought we were best friends.”

“We are. It … Jack, can’t you just trust me? I’m going to tell you all about this, just … not now. Can’t you give me time to think it over?”

Jack was scowling. “Do you know that you sound almost exactly like a girl right about … now …?” His scowl faded. Jack stared at Yusei with wide violet eyes. For a moment, Yusei almost completely forgot what they were talking about because he could see every line and shade in Jack’s irises so clearly.

“Yusei …?”

Yusei forced himself to snap out of it.

“Jack?”

“What _is_ this about, anyway?”

“Jack … I … I … I don’t know how to say this.”

“It’s about the Quest Fashion campaign, isn’t it?” Jack blurted out suddenly. “You’ve been staring at me ever since you figured out I was the model for that.” He sat down again all at once, putting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. “It’s weirding you out, isn’t it? I should have thought of that.”

“No … Yeah … Well, it’s not exactly like that, but I’m not sure why it is … I mean, you’re always around, so a few pictures shouldn’t make any difference … should it?”

“Can’t you get to the point?”

Yusei was feeling more and more embarrassed. “You’re not making this any easier, Jack.”

He looked amused. “And should I? Maybe this will help. You’re my best friend. You can tell me anything. I promise I won’t get angry.”

“And we’ll still be friends?”

“Of course. If we’re still friends after the way I screwed up, I think I can handle whatever’s on your mind.”

Yusei took a deep breath. “Uh, these photos have made me feel … confused. I … I feel strangely _attracted_ to you, Jack.”

“Oh.”

“Is that all you have to say?” Yusei searched Jack’s face for a reaction, but only saw Jack’s usual calm, open expression. _At least it isn’t his annoyed or angry expression_ , he thought.

Jack studied Yusei’s anxious face for some time, then sighed. “You really need to get this out of your system, don’t you?” he said, finally. “Very well.”

“What?” Yusei said, hardly daring to hope.

“I’ll let you touch me … this once … without beating the crap out of you.” Jack didn’t look eager to try this experiment, but he was willing to give Yusei a chance. That was something.

For a moment, Yusei wondered what was happening to him. His heart had started thumping and he felt a little dizzy with anticipation, his hands and feet tingling and his face hot. He told himself to keep cool, but wondered if it was even possible.

Yusei took Jack’s hand and pulled him into a standing position. Yusei then pulled over one of the still-wrapped packages of calendars in front of Jack, then stepped on top of it, which brought their shoulders close to the same level. He slid one arm around Jack’s chest, which was every bit as satisfyingly deep and hard as he’d imagined. Yusei tried to tamp down his excitement level as he slid his other hand around the back of Jack’s head, nestling his fingers in his hair.

_Why didn’t I take off my gloves?_

Casting that thought aside, he brought his lips to Jack’s neck, pale and delicious as milk, right at the edge of his choker. He wanted to kiss him lower down toward his collarbone, but Jack was covered up. Yusei worked his way up, feeling Jack’s hands come around to his back, ever so lightly. The thought that he might be inducing some sort of pleasurable sensation in Jack spurred Yusei on, threatening to cause him to move much more quickly than he had meant to, so he forced himself to linger, leaving a long, leisurely trail of kisses from his choker to the corner of his jaw right below his ear.

As he lingered over the last kiss, he glanced up to check Jack’s expression and saw violet eyes, unfocused, blond-fringed lids fluttering over them at half-mast.

Yusei accepted this incredibly alluring view as a signal to fit is lips to Jack’s, kissing him gently at first, then more and more passionately. He was a little surprised to find that Jack responded, returning his kiss with equal fervor …

Yusei nipped Jack’s earlobe and whispered, “Now, was that so bad?” Then he relaxed his embrace so he could take a good look at Jack.

Jack stared at him in stunned confusion. “It was …” he began, then took a step backward, stumbling back onto the couch.

“Jack, I need to know what you’re thinking!” Yusei leaned over him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Wait! It’s not—”

“Yusei—” Jack scrambled to the side, brushing Yusei’s hand away and grabbing his jacket. He opened his mouth to say something, but his head swiveled as Crow walked in, catching them in an awkward position with Jack pressed back on the couch and Yusei leaning over him anxiously.

They both stared at Crow.

Crow looked from Yusei to Jack back to Yusei again. “Yusei—” he began, but as he did, Jack brushed past Yusei and began walking up the stairs without a word.

“Jack, it’s not out of my system …” Yusei said lamely.

* * *

Crow looked at Yusei with frank concern. “Yusei, did … did I walk in on something?”

“Crow … I think … I might have screwed up our friendship.”

“You? Impossible. If there’s a problem, it has to be his fault. It always is, and you—”

“No. This time if there’s a problem, it’s what I’ve done, no question.”

“How can you—” Crow looked more closely at Yusei’s face. _Damn, what was wrong with him?_ He looked devastated. “Get over here,” he said, pulling Yusei over to the kitchenette. When things were bad for him, Yusei usually put on that tough, emotionless front. Whatever it was must have just happened. “Let me get you a beer … no, I think this calls for sake. Just sit and let me get it for you.”

After he’d administered first aid, Crow asked, “Are you ready to tell me about it, or are you determined to go through with your strong-and-silent routine? You know, this friendship thing goes both ways. It’s no good if you just give support.” Crow waited. “You said you thought you messed things up …” he prompted.

“ _It’s those damned ads!_ ” Yusei blurted, then slapped a hand over his mouth.

As if he didn’t know already …

“Let me guess. You’ve been kind of … crushing … a little?”

“I’ve been … seeing … Jack …” now Yusei was squirming in a way that was almost painful to watch, “… in a whole new way … and …”

Crows hands flew to his ears. “ _Aaargh!_ Say no more!” Dropping his hands again, he said, “No, wait, I need to know … exactly what did you say to him?”

“I … I told him what was going on, and … he said that I needed to g-get it out of my system.”

“‘Get it out of your system’?”

“His words.”

“Go on.”

Yusei took another swallow of sake and said, “So I …”

Crow waited, on tenterhooks. When Yusei didn’t go on, his eyes sort of glazing over, Crow said impatiently, “So you what? What happened?”

“I—I kissed him. And … then …”

“Then what? Go on, man!”

“I … kind of got carried away. I want—It’s not out of my system, Crow.” He drained his sake. “Is there any more of this?” he asked.

Crow waved his hand wearily and said, “Geez.” He ran his other hand through his hair, back to front, then down his face. “And what was Jack’s reaction?”

“He let me do it … up to a point, and then, well, you can see how it ended up. The way he looked at me. Things are … strained.”

“But how did he react when—when you were, uh, kissing him? Did he, er, kiss back?”

“I guess so. It felt—”

“ _Ahh!_ Yusei, don’t tell me how it felt! I don’t want to know!” Crow propped his throbbing head on a palm, his elbow firmly placed on the table. “The thing is … maybe things aren’t as bad as you think they are.”

“Oh … they’re bad. Trust me.” Yusei got up and pulled a beer from the refrigerator.

_Great_ , Crow thought. Yusei almost never drank anything. _He’s going to be useless tomorrow_.

“Where the hell’s Bruno?” he asked aloud, but Yusei was already on his way back out to the living area. As if in answer to his question, Bruno breezed through the door carrying a couple of bags from his errands. “Hey, Bruno.”

“Crow?”

“Keep an eye on Yusei, will you? Make sure he doesn’t make himself too sick or try to ride his D-wheel, OK?”

“OK, but—”

“He’s putting a few away and … just let him, OK?”

“OK.”

Crow headed up the stairs as Bruno scratched his head and put things away. He knocked on Jack’s door. “Yusei, if that’s you, so help me—”

“It’s Crow.”

He could hear Jack’s sigh all the way through the door. “All right then. You can come in, but I’ll tell you straight off that I don’t want to talk about it.”

Crow heard the sound of Jack getting up as he tried the knob—locked. The door opened and Jack retreated to his bed without so much as greeting Crow. _Does this bother you so much?_ “Huh, Jack, don’t think you can fend a little guy like Yusei off? What are you worried about?”

“Awkward situations like this one.” Jack was sitting on his bed in white silk pajamas with violet piping, his legs hanging over the side. Crow closed the door lest Yusei happen by and get a good look at the view. The silk had a way of sliding nicely over Jack’s musculature and it was hard to miss the fact that he wasn’t wearing underwear.

“Yeah … awkward,” Crow allowed, scratching the back of his head. “I’m just trying, uh, trying to make sure that a great friendship isn’t destroyed.”

“Look. Not my fault. Not this time. I’m just … This gig. I was just trying … everyone wanted me to contribute. To bring in some money.” He scowled. “You never leave me alone about it, Crow! I have a job, now, finally bring in some money … I get criticism from you and … and this—” he stared at his hand. “I never expected this.”

Gently, Crow asked, “The question is, Jack, how do you feel about it?”

“Crow, how do you feel about a fist to your face? How do I _feel_ about it? Feelings! What do you think I am, anyway, a girl?”

“You’re the one putting on make-up and posing for the camera, Jack. You’ve always, er, kind-a … smelled awfully nice for a guy.”

“… and you noticed this, why?”

“Urk …” A blush flashed across Crow’s cheeks. He scowled and continued at a higher volume. “And what about your hair? Those long tails … and kinda long in the back, there, right?”

“It’s fine that way. No one could possibly mistake this physique for female. I don’t hide my gender.”

“Neither do I.”

“Was this about you?”

“Uh … no …”

“ _Fine, then!_ ”

“ _Fine!_ ”

Crow stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

_Crap—!_

This solved absolutely nothing! He’d let Jack suck him into an argument and Jack and Yusei were still mucked up only … now he was in the middle and Jack was pissed at the both of them.


	8. Feelings Come to a Head … Ache

Crow was in front of Poppo Time the next morning pulling his D-wheel out when he heard an odd noise above him. Looking up, he saw the distinctly odd sight of Jack’s leg sticking out of an upper window.

“Jack, Yusei’s not up yet. Why don’t you go downstairs like a normal human being?” He parked his D-wheel and went back inside, where Jack was now descending in a more traditional fashion. “Scared of Yusei now, are we?”

“Of course not!” he snapped.

“Really, now? Because you could have fooled me. It looked distinctly like you were trying to avoid running into Yusei. Why else would you entirely avoid the lower floor?”

A comically thoughtful expression made its way onto Jack’s face before he gave up. “None of your business, Crow.”

“Besides, don’t you need the Wheel of Fortune?”

“No. My gig for Quest Fashion is done until the next campaign and Marj hasn’t found the right followup yet.”

“No offers?”

“Actually, a lot of offers. Nothing appropriate.”

“Look at Mr Fussy.”

“I’m only doing projects suitable for Jack Atlas.”

Crow sighed. Sounded just like Jack.

“Marj agrees,” Jack added, as though that would quell any of Crow’s objections.

“You’re trying to avoid Yusei?” Crow continued, moving on. “You know you can’t keep this up forever.”

“I just need to figure out what to say to him.”

“You mean—”

“Don’t mention the F-word again!”

“Feelings! Feelings, feelings, _feelings!_ ” Crow taunted.

“Are you five?” asked Jack. “If anyone wants me—including Yusei—I’ll be at the café.”

Crow watched him walk over and sit at his favorite table.

At least it’s not my money you’re spending this time, Crow thought, looking after him.

Jack seated himself at his favorite table, where he was immediately greeted by Stephanie. A nearby couple appeared baffled, having been abruptly abandoned by their waitress. And—what was that?

_Crap, Carly!_

Just as Crow was about to turn around, Carly appeared around the corner and waved at Jack, who colored a bit and waved back hesitantly. Crow lingered just long enough to watch Carly bounce over to Jack’s table, somehow managing to trip on the way so that she landed draped over Jack’s broad shoulders. He wondered why she was there, but in any case couldn’t just stand around waiting to find out how it went.

Crow didn’t wait to see how the two managed to disentangle themselves, but turned and raced inside.

_Yusei really doesn’t need to see—_

“ _No!_ ” was the anguished cry he heard from above, immediately followed by a pained groan. Too late.

“Yusei, let me get you some aspirin, OK? And some breakfast?”

“I don’t want to eat.”

“You have to. It’s the best thing for a hangover. You’ll see.” He headed toward the kitchenette. “How are you, anyway?”

Yusei put on a sullen face. “I’ll live. I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Don’t give me that. You’ve got Jack on your mind and you’re in a twist because Carly’s all over him right now. But when’s the last time he’s been gooey over her?”

“I think … he might be waiting until all this … until the WRGP is done with. Until he’s duel king again.”

Crow smiled. “Oh, so you’re saying _you_ stand in his way?”

Yusei started a little. He hadn’t thought of it like that.

“Look … Yusei … maybe this isn’t the time, but … we’re all pretty tight friends, right?”

“Well, yeah …”

” … and nothing can come between us?”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Then don’t worry so much.” Crow gritted his teeth. Talking about this made him uncomfortable, but Yusei was hurting. “You know Jack … He’s always been larger than life, everything about him … his dueling, his ambition, even his overreactions. But the thing is, you said last night Jack kissed back, right? I say he’s just as surprised by this as you are and for the same reasons. The thing that is going on between you is more than friendship, right?”

“H-how do I know it’s not just … just a physical thing? I like Jack a lot, but it wasn’t until—”

“The Quest thing? Well, I like Jack a lot, too, but you don’t see me jumping him, do you?” Crow frowned. “You’re a smart guy, Yusei, you should know. But, honestly, I don’t see you being that shallow. Although … I wouldn’t have seen you going for some _one_ that shallow, either!”

“Dammit, Crow, Jack’s not shallow! Just because he has priorities and puts a lot of effort into perfecting his dueling—”

“Wow, Yusei, just—” Crow set a plate in front of Yusei.

Yusei sat staring at Crow. Then, without a word, he scowled at his plate and began eating.

* * *

At the cafe, Jack carefully removed Carly from his shoulders and helped her into a chair. “Are you looking for me?” he asked.

“I was hoping that I’d run into you, yes,” she admitted. “I haven’t had a chance to come by and talk to you since the Quest announcement, and—”

“Oh.”

“If you don’t want to do an interview, that’s OK,” she said disappointedly.

“No, it’s all right, but … maybe later?”

“Why? Is … What’s wrong, Jack? Is there some way I can help?”

“Uh, have you ever … did you ever have things planned out one way, and then have something happen that … you just didn’t expect? That completely changed your plans and how you thought … about … oh.”

“Right. Jack, I was falling from that window … and then the next thing I knew … the whole world had changed. I had been a Dark Signer and … I didn’t remember anything.”

Jack colored and looked almost ashamed, staring down at the table. “I—I shouldn’t have even brought this up. How stupid of me.”

“No, Jack, it’s all right. I don’t remember anything.” She smiled encouragingly. “I just … adjusted. You know, you just do that. Go on. Accept things.”

“Accept things?”

“I had to accept that I was capable of becoming a Dark Signer, Jack. That I wanted to hold onto life that much.”

_Because of me …_

Jack didn’t dare say it. But …

He stood up.

“Jack?”

“Thanks, Carly.”

“You’re welcome. I guess.”

_Accept things. Accept … myself._

He looked back toward Poppo Time.

_Accept …_

Stephanie arrived with the coffee, but Jack was already walking away. “Wait, Jack! Your order!”

“Give it to Carly, on me! Charge it to my tab.”

* * *

Jack burst in without thinking about the noise he was making.

“Jack, please!” Yusei pleaded, putting his hands to his throbbing head.

“Could you keep it down?” complained Crow. “Yusei’s got a hangover.”

“Yusei?” Jack frowned, concerned. “What’s with all the beers lately?”

“Is it _your_ business?” asked Yusei. Then he groaned. _Spoke too loudly there._ _Maybe I_ did _have too much last night_.

“It’s not OK to care about my friend?”

“Yeah, well, you want to talk about this, but you don’t want to talk about … _other_ things.”

“You’re right. About those … _other_ … things. Carly said something and maybe I should talk to you—”

“I don’t want to hear what _Carly_ has to say about it!” Yusei groaned again. This conversation wasn’t doing his headache any favors.

Crow sighed. “Could you not talk about _other_ things at the table, please? I’d like to keep my breakfast down.”

“Yusei’s _here_ , Crow. I need to talk to him _now_. And Carly—”

“Didn’t you hear—”

Crow couldn’t take it any more. “Stop it right there, the both of you! I need the two of you to get a room and figure this out … one way or the other. We need to be a team at the end of this … whatever … and right now there’s way too much … _tension_ between the two of you!”

“And whose fault is that?” Jack turned to Crow and glared.

“You’re not saying it’s mine?”

Jack scowled an emphatic _yes_.

“I didn’t tell you to pose for those pictures! Half of Domino is after you about now!”

“The _female_ half!”

“Whatever! Everyone’s in an uproar. There are other ways—”

“No, wait a minute, Crow, if you hadn’t kept pecking at him day after day—” Yusei began, then slapped a hand to his temple and started rubbing slow circles.

“You’re not … you’re not actually going to take Jack’s side on this are you?”

“Of course he is! I’m right this time,” Jack insisted. “I was only trying to do what you wanted, and apparently you’re never satisfied. Here I can finally pay you back and still bring in some money for parts and rent and things and all you can do is complain.”

“Well, look at what happened. You’ve got the twins worked up, Aki uncomfortable, Yusei all tied up in knots …”

“Wait! It’s not Jack’s fault! You harped on him to get a job and … well, you know how he is. If he can’t be the best, he doesn’t bother. Well, whatever this ad campaign is, you have to admit, it’s effective. And it’s because of Jack. Whatever he has comes across in those damn photos. Everyone can see it. Even Aki. Even you. Bruno doesn’t seem to notice, but I don’t know. It’s like he’s … some sort of machine or something …” Yusei laughed, then rubbed his head again. “Guess you can’t get to everyone.”

“I always thought Bruno was strange,” said Jack to no one in particular.

“Whatever. Could you just …” Crow said.

“Yusei. Please. I just want to talk to my best friend. Is that so …”

Yusei got up. Wasn’t it what he wanted? But he was so sure that it wouldn’t go the way he wanted it to.

Jack was heading upstairs, which made Yusei very nervous. _Don’t tease me, Jack_ …

“We should probably find some place with a little privacy for this,” Jack said. “Crow’s being awfully sensitive, don’t you think?”

“My head feels awfully sensitive, Jack. Could you talk a little more quietly?”

“Oh. Right. Your hangover. I’m so sorry.” Jack stopped by Yusei’s door and looked expectant.

“You-you want to go into my room?”

“You want to talk in my room instead? I thought you’d be less uncomfortable in here, but if you’d rather—”

“No, it’s fine …” Yusei opened the door and led Jack in, looking back at him strangely. He really was serious about privacy. “You’re actually taking Crow’s ‘get a room’ crack to heart, aren’t you?” he remarked, cocking an eyebrow at his friend.

Jack blushed rather fetchingly, pink appearing across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Yusei didn’t have much furniture, but he did have a table and chair that he used as a sort of desk. Jack headed for the chair, but it was a little low and smallish for Jack, so Yusei pulled him over to the bed and sat him down. Yusei sat on the bed too, but gave Jack plenty of room.

“Like I was trying to tell you. I was down at the café this morning and ran into Car—”

“ _I don’t want to hear about Carly!_ ”

The effort and noise of yelling caused massive pain to tear through Yusei’s head and he had to cradle it in his hands.

Two large hands joined his own, gently lifting his head. Jack eased over on the bed more closely, leaning over and softly kissing him on his forehead. Yusei pulled back, staring.

“What are you doing?”

“You should take better care of yourself and not stress yourself over stupid things I do, Yusei.” Jack was kneeling on the bed now, his legs spread a bit, still holding Yusei’s head in his hands. Yusei turned toward him, folding a leg under himself on the bed so that he could face Jack. “Now, will you let me finish? What she did was just … remind me who I am, that’s all.”

“But Jack … you’re always doing that yourself. It’s always Jack Atlas this, Jack Atlas that.”

“Yeah, but it’s different when I hear it from someone else. And, Yusei, last night … it was kind of a stunner, you know?”

“What? That I … have … feelings for you?”

Jack cringed slightly. “Do you mind not using that particular word?” he asked.

“What word?”

“ _Feelings_. Let’s say that you, uh, are drawn to me. And then, you … we … kiss and …” He blushed more deeply at this, but one of his hands had let go of Yusei’s cheek and begun stroking through his hair.

“Jack … what …?”

“I started to want to … kind of … do things to you. With you. Frankly, it was weird.”

Yusei was afraid to even move. “So, you want to talk about it?”

“I really don’t. Crow keeps going on about my feelings …” Jack rolled his eyes.

“Jack, it’s not a dirty word, you know.”

“It might help if it was. And you … acting like some kind of bashful schoolgirl all of a sudden. You’re never like that on the track. Do you know how fast I’d beat you if you were?”

“Oh, first turn?”

“I don’t think there’s a number lower than that, so, yes.” As Jack continued to stroke Yusei’s hair, his other hand wandered down to his thigh just above the knee and rested there, a warm, insistent presence. Yusei was beginning to feel a distinct, distracting heat rising through his body from that area.

“This is different, Jack.”

“Maybe we should explore how it’s the same?”

“So you’re telling me that you still want to … do things? … To me?” His cheeks were burning now, his whole body tingling.

“I … want …” Jack began, but he couldn’t finish. His lips had met Yusei’s.

Yusei pulled back out of Jack’s hands just long enough to shift the rest of the way onto his bed and wrap his arms around Jack, returning the kiss with fervor. Jack put one hand behind his neck and ran the other down his back to his his waist.

When they broke apart again, Yusei gasped, “Jack, why didn’t you tell me you could kiss like that? I would have tried this before.”

Jack chuckled. “I told you I was the King, didn’t I?” He leaned back, pulling Yusei down on top of him. “The question is, how far do you want to go?”

Yusei’s eyes widened. _Larger than life …?_ Crow wasn’t far wrong there. “Uh, I …” he said breathlessly, “Let’s not make any … long-term plans …” He wasn’t sure he could say no to anything at this point.

But one thing was for sure. Yusei had completely forgotten his headache.

_~ fin ~_

**Author’s notes:**

I’m hoping this chapter was enjoyable. This is a particularly difficult! Of course, for me, writing the romantic/lustful aspects are always tough. I’m hoping that there was a balance between the angst, humor, and fluff here.

Hope that the Carly part was OK ... I wanted her to ring true even though she is secondary to the story here. I’ll admit that I find her problematic, even in the anime ... she’s pivotal to Jack through the Dark Signer arc, but after that ... eh ... One can only ask, producers, what’s up with that? It’s as though Carly wasn’t the only one stricken with amnesia ... Oh, well ... Convenient for me ...

Originally, I was undecided whether to end at this point, or to add an epilogue of sorts. Even though I got some requests to extend it a little, I really felt that adding more wasn't going to improve the story. I hope that works for you. And, as I said originally, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. It’s been fun writing a fluffy little distraction for a change.

I now have only one last story to re-post, which will I will wait a few weeks to get to. I hope to get some traction on my current stories in the meantime so that I can update them. Happy New Year, everyone! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always accepted with humble gratitude.


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